Our regular readers may have noticed that we like to highlight residencies played by local artists in local venues, but admittedly we entirely missed Bonsai's November one at Pete Candy's Store - admittedly, we weren't aware that the lovely east Williamsburg venue actually had residencies! Well, not only they have them, but they also pick good artists for them, since Bonsai's music is an absolute delight. Their self titled debut EP is a delicate and dreamy alt folk gem. Opener "Bonsai Trees" - the most accomplished track on the record, streaming below - shows the trio's interest in revisiting traditional American music in new ways, employing intriguing percussive textures, inventive and appropriate guitar parts, and a production that's edgy without being over the top. Of course, all this wouldn't do much if Simone Stevens' vocals and melodies weren't spot on, confident and compelling. The magic continues with "When it Rains," a more subdued track floating in oozes of reverb and supported by what sounds like an acoustic guitar two-note sample loop. Atmospheric ballad "I fashion you are a dreamer" turns up the melancholy big time with a verse as intense as it gets, only to deliver one of those powerfully uplifting choruses that - unless you are fully corrupted by life - can touch you in deep ways. Upbeat pop number "I Like You Man" and final folky song "Messed Up" fill up the record competently, but without reaching the heights of the first three tracks. This is a small, beautiful record with the power to awaken emotions and make people closer, i.e. exactly what the doctor orders every time a new year begins.

An impressionist of sound, Brooklyn's Rioux plays a brand of electronica that's as translucent as a Monet painting. Following his 'Here Comes Now' LP last year, Rioux is announcing the release of the 'Evolver' EP this spring, a record made between his hometown Detroit and New York City. The record is presented as a life cycle in miniature, exploring metamorphosis and the various states of being in the evolving human experience. Rioux will be playing an intimate premiere of the new material with the live band at Union Pool on 04.08. Stream the EP's first single "Unfeel", below.

Some people buy some records just because they like their cover art. NYC's Slap Bracelets' debut EP "The Wendigo" might not inspire that kind of impulse, but once you break through the cover art "barrier" (hopefully there's a good story behind it) you'll be rewarded with a delicate and beautifully crafted electro-pop single with new wave overtones, and an almost shoegazey development in the second half of the song. The single in question is the EP's title track, streaming below.

Big Thief is Adrianne Lenker's collaborative songwriting project. Several songs have been posted since her last official release, "a-sides" in 2014. Her music is often sentimental and rarely steps outside conventional folk arrangements, so what is that in there—bold and arresting? She stands apart from many musicians carrying on the folk/bluegrass tradition in that she never gets lazy—all her tracks are different, her songwriting is on point, and her voice can stand perfectly alone as well as melt into anything it touches. She delivers clarity. The vocal harmonies in “a-sides” thaw over spare strumming and tell stories of death by Lake Superior, travels by the Mississippi River, and countless other places impossible not to fall in love with. Her earlier records “b-sides” and “Ours Were The Birds” can’t go without mention as they offer a great catch of Lenker’s even more powerful solitude. Big Thief played a bunch of shows in March and we’re looking forward to hearing more. - Leora Mandel

Lost Boy ?’s debut LP due March 31, "Canned," is a collection of old favorites and soon-to-be-hits that marries clever riffs with playful, creative ambition. Sandwiched between “Hollywood’s” relentlessly catchy riffs and “Hemorrhage’s” disaffected vocals (courtesy of Luke Chiarutinni) you'll find 11 tracks of perfectly unpolished, irreverent pop goodness. Davey Jones’s bedroom project-turned-band scatters doses of seriousness around the record but still manages to approach it all with refreshing levity. Although Jones has upgraded his recording quality infinitely from his earlier recordings, he kept a crafty, lo-fi approach, with delightfully messy leads and chirpy vocals permeating the majority of the record. "Canned" proves that, for Lost Boy ?, not taking themselves seriously is serious business. See them live at Shea Stadium on 04.18 for the record release party. - Michael Sosnick

In art, there's a fine line between terrible and genius, and it's mostly defined by taste - but to a certain extent also experience. When you make the choice to get bombarded on a daily basis by music submissions, when you stumble upon something that sounds truly different you can't help but take notice. Hailing from Queens, NYC, Macula Dog produces heavily... insane music, probably inspired by bizarre experimental bands like The Residents, Pere Ubu and who knows what other obscure weird records. Refreshingly though, these guys aren't just experimental for the sake of being experimental: their songs are very well produced, and there is a recognizable style unifying their repertoire. We'll spare you from describing them, just take a listen to "Jungle Swingers" below, or go see them at one of the many upcoming live shows they have scheduled in NYC (list here), and open up your mind!

I don't think any rock musician really likes to be referred to as a "veteran," but after four albums recorded in nine years of activity, all spent in that constant revolving door that's New York City, The Shondes should hear that word as a title more than anything. In this time frame, through the violent ups and down only rock musicians can experience, the band has built a remarkable fan base without ever betraying its original sound, a melodic but direct indie rock at times reminiscent of a less angular version of criminally underrated Throwing Muses, with an added violin by Elijah Oberman, who founded the group with lead singer/bassist Louisa Rachel Solomon in 2006. The Shondes released their fourth album "The Garden" in 2014 and will be performing live at The Rock Shop on April 4th.